Instruments have been in action for a very long time. Obviously, not in the same style as today's instruments, but always with the same goal, to create music. In an orchestra, all the instruments are separated into groups. There are four main families (groups). These are the string, brass, percussion and woodwind families. In the coming pages we will discuss them in more detail.The string familyThe string family is made up of instruments that are plucked or even drawn with a bow. Some common instruments in the string family are the violin, viola, cello, double bass, guitar, harp, and electric bass. In the orchestra, we will always find the violin, the viola, the cello and the double bass. The first forms of violins were discovered in Italy in the 16th century. The name of the violin, at that time, was "violas da braccio", to distinguish it from the cello (cello) and the double bass. The violin is used for orchestral, country and folk music. But for country and folk music, the violin is called a fiddle. The viola is mainly used for orchestral music, while the cello and double bass are used for orchestral music and even jazz. The harp is generally used as an accompaniment to other instruments. Sometimes, if the composer of a piece of music wishes to include a harp, it will join the orchestra. The guitar is intended for classical guitar, but it is mainly used for rock. The percussion family A percussion instrument is an instrument that is played primarily by being struck or strummed. These instruments are considered one of the oldest types of instruments. In an orchestra, the percussion section is made up of timpani, snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, triangle and tambourine. Percussion...... middle of paper ......ments use a slide to change the length of the tube. The main instruments of this family are trombones. These are mainly used in jazz. The natural brass instruments are played by notes from the harmonic series of the instruments. The only three instruments that use natural are the bugle, horns and trumpets. Keyed or fingered brass instruments have holes in their bodies that would be covered by fingers or finger-operated keys. These include the cornett, serpent, ophicleide, keyed bugle, and keyed trumpet. They are more difficult to play than valve instruments. The Woodwind Family To begin with, there are two types of wind instruments. Flutes and reed instruments. The difference is in the way they produce their sound. Flutes produce sound by directing a concentrated flow of air into a hole in a cylindrical tube.